50 Cent – Many Men

“Many Men (Wish Death)” is a haunting, cinematic masterpiece by American rapper 50 Cent, released on February 6, 2003, as part of his historic, 9x platinum debut studio album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rap songs of all time, the track serves as the psychological and emotional core of 50 Cent’s entire life and career.

Produced by Eminem, Luis Resto, and Denaun Porter, the song is built around an unforgettable, soulful vocal sample from The Dramatics’ 1974 track “Deceptacon,” paired with a slow, menacing drum beat. Over this chilling backdrop, 50 Cent delivers an unflinching reflection on surviving his infamous 2000 shooting—where he was struck by nine bullets—and the deep-seated paranoia, betrayal, and violence that accompanied his rise in South Jamaica, Queens. The chorus is a chilling declaration of resilience: “Many men, many, many, many, many men / Wish death ‘pon me / Blood in my eye, dog, and I can’t see / I’m tryin’ to be what I’m destined to be.”

The song’s cultural legacy was cemented by its legendary music video directed by Jessy Terrero, which featured a dramatic reenactment of the 2000 shooting alongside a cinematic narrative starring a young Rory Calhoun as 50’s assassin and an appearance by a pre-fame Adam Brody. “Many Men” transcended its era to become an iconic hip-hop anthem of survival. Its stark piano melody and raw vulnerability have been endlessly referenced, interpolated, and sampled by subsequent generations of artists—most notably serving as the emotional blueprint for Pop Smoke’s breakthrough track “Got It on Me”—locking in 50 Cent’s track as an immortal monument in gangsta rap history.